


Shared Moments

by notenoughcoffee



Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 03:05:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18842347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notenoughcoffee/pseuds/notenoughcoffee
Summary: Aragon and Boleyn find some common ground.





	Shared Moments

Catherine found her in the garden, sitting cross-legged, and looking very much like the child she was when Catherine first met her in another lifetime. She was curled in on herself, giving the occasional sniffle, as she played with a few daisies she had plucked from the flower bed.

Catherine rolled her eyes at the sight. She wanted nothing more than to pretend she had seen nothing, turn around, and walk straight back into the house. Knowing that the girl was out in the chill of the evening feeling sorry for herself actually gave Catherine a small thrill; however, she had promised Jane and Katherine that she would try. She had made no guarantees that she would be successful, but her love for the other two girls made her feel obligated to do something right at that moment.

Uncertain about how to broach the situation, she simply sat down next to Anne, plucked a few blades of grass and tied them in a knot. She watched as Anne looked at her sideways, her confusion at the unexpected company evident across her miserable face.

Catherine flicked the knotted up grass in her direction.

“Enjoying yourself?” Anne asked.

Catherine wasn’t sure why the question stung her as much as it did. She had never been one to outwardly revel in the pain of others. Although, if she was being honest with herself, there were many occasions where she had taken a great deal of pleasure in watching Anne’s misfortunes. She just hadn’t realized her joy had been so apparent.

There were times when Catherine forgot just how intelligent Anne was beneath her whimsical, light-hearted exterior. With two words, Anne had reminded her of that sharp wit and keen intellect, ever-present, if scarcely flaunted. Shame colored her cheeks.

“You can go. I know you don’t want to be here.” Her words were surly, but Catherine saw her hands falter as she tied the stems of the daisies together.

“I think I’d rather stay.”

Anne glanced up, curiously. “Why?”

“Someone needs to make sure you don’t destroy the rest of Parr’s garden.” Anne gave an undignified snort before reaching for another daisy.

Silence strained between them, neither wanting to be the one to acknowledge there was something amiss.

Anne was the first to crack from the tension. “I used to make these for her.”

Catherine was perplexed until she realized who the “her” was. Elizabeth. Of course it was her daughter. She looked at the tiny crown of daisies resting in Anne’s lap and felt her own ache for her child. She could almost feel the weight of Mary’s tiny hand resting in her own, Mary’s laughter reverberating down the corridors of the palace, Mary’s radiant smile as she looked up at her adoringly. Tears sprung to Catherine’s eyes.

“I had made one for her the day they took me away. I was meant to take her down to the river to feed the ducklings and cygnets, but we didn’t get that far. We didn’t get the time.”

Catherine rested her hand on Anne’s knee, not trusting words to convey just how deeply she empathized with her pain.  
  
“She was so easy to please at that age. All she needed was me there beside her. I should have spent more time doing all of those little things she loved. Playing in the gardens, splashing in puddles, chasing the dogs, so many things we didn’t get to do together.” She swiped furiously at her cheeks and scrubbed at her eyes. Now that the floodgates had opened she was frustrated with her inability to control her emotions.

“You can’t spend your whole life feeling bad about everything you didn’t do,” Catherine whispered softly, patting Anne’s knee.

“Fucking watch me,” Anne snickered despite her sorrow.

It was enough to make Catherine smile, too. “Come on,” she offered Anne a hand to help her stand.

“Where?”

“We’ve got some ducklings to feed.”

If they weren’t able to share in the moments they longed for with their children, they could at least share those moments with each other. Maybe that could be enough.


End file.
